A DAS can be used to extend wireless coverage in an area through the use of one or more head-end units and multiple remote units coupled to each head-end unit. Head-end units can be coupled to one or more base stations that can each manage wireless communications for different cell sites. A head-end unit can receive downlink signals from the base station and distribute downlink signals in analog or digital form to one or more remote units. The remote units can wirelessly transmit the downlink signals to user equipment devices within coverage areas serviced by the remote units. In the uplink direction, signals from user equipment devices may be received by the remote units. The remote units can transmit the uplink signals received from user equipment devices to the head-end unit. The head-end unit can transmit uplink signals to the serving base stations.
The use of a head-end unit and remote units to extend the wireless coverage of a base station can increase the static delay (also known as a roundtrip delay) to a user device because of additional processing time and time delays caused by the extended distance signals travel from the head-end unit to remote units in the DAS. This can impact the maximum cell range a base station can cover. The static delay in a DAS can de-synchronize user device connections and result in signal interference when connected to a base station with a limited cell range.